The Blue Eye volleyball team went from a 9-and-17 season two years ago, to 19-and-7 last season, as Taylor Pierce took over as the head coach. And in 2018, the Bulldogs are even better.
In the 2nd year under head coach Taylor Pierce, the Blue Eye volleyball team has already secured a back-to-back winning season. “They are super hungry,” Pierce said.
Last year the Bulldogs made it to the district championship before falling to School of the Ozarks in three sets. This year, the team hopes for a different post season outcome.
“This season we’ve got a senior stacked team, so I think they’re really motivated to get the best record, and we want to go as far as we can this year,” said Pierce.
A key one of those seniors is Taylor Arnold who joined the team last year, and it was a shock.
“She came from Nixa, which is a lot bigger school than our small Blue Eye,” said Pierce.
Going from Class 4 to Class 1 — the difference? A thousand students.
“It’s definitely a change but I really liked being able to know everybody at this school,” said Arnold.
Joining a new team as a junior, Taylor stepped right into a leading role.
“Taylor’s our setter, so she’s like our quarterback of our team,” said Pierce.
And she became a first-team all-conference setter with 337 assists and 92 digs last season.
“Her skill is super advanced for what we’ve seen. I think her being at that higher level has pushed some of our other girls to kind of match her,” Pierce said.
“I think they’ve just allowed me to be a leader. I’ve just loved playing with all the girls, and we’re just a really good group of girls together,” said Arnold.
This year is extra special for Arnold, because she gets to share the court with her freshmen twins sisters.
“It’s the coolest thing to watch,” said Pierce.
“I love it. It’s so exciting. I’ve been hoping that we’d be able to play together, and so we get to play together one year, so I really enjoy it,” Arnold said.
And it means the Arnold name will live on at Blue Eye.
